Jackson High School (Michigan)

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Jackson High School is a public high school located in downtown Jackson, Michigan. It was created in 1908 with the merger of Jackson's West Side and East Side High Schools, and moved to its present location in 1927. The school has an enrollment of about 1800 students in grades 9-12. The school's nickname is the Vikings. The athletic teams compete as members of the Capital Area Activities Conference.

Jackson High school offers a wide range of classes, from remedial to advanced placement [1]. Jackson High School has a dual enrollment program where students can take courses at the local community college. Students from other high schools, such as Lumen Christi, East Jackson, and Jackson Northwest, are allowed to enroll for courses at Jackson High. Foreign students from all over the world, places such as Ukraine, Germany, and Brazil, can attend through an exchange program.

Administration The Administration of Jackson High School consist of four grade principals and one building principal, who are responsible for the day to day running of the school, along with events, and curriculum. The building principal Mrs. Pamela Fitzgerald oversees the curriculum and directs the other administrators. Mrs. Fitzgerald graduated Summa Cum Laude from Spring Arbor University, and is enrolled in the Western Michigan University PH.d program. She has an extensive knowledge of the Michigan state education guidelines and the No Child Left Behind guidelines. The class of 2007 principal, Mr. Bobby Burton, was a star athlete in high school, who played with NFL coach and Jackson Public School Alumni Tony Dungy. Mr. Burton has his undergraduate degree from Cenral Michigan University, and master's in education from Spring Arbor University. 2008 class principal is Mrs. Barbra Baird-Pauli. She received her under-graduate degree from Eastern Michigan University and her masters degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The 2009 class Principal Mr. Scott Hutchins graduated from Michigan State University with an undergraduate degree, and Eastern Michigan University with a masters degree. The class of 2010 principal is Mr. Steven K. Lieder. This former police officer and college professor brings a wealth of knowledge and experience into the job.

Faculty The faculty at Jackson High School consists of nearly 100 teachers and support staff. The faculty is a diverse group of men and women dedicated to their profession and their students. While all of the teachers have their bachelors degree, many have their masters degrees, and all of them teach in their area of study.

Student Body The student body ranges in size from 1700 to 1900 students, the average freshmen class is between 550-700 students, while the graduating class is between 300-400. The student ethnicity consists of 61% Caucasian, 33% Black/African American, 3% Hispanic, 1% Asian, and 1% American Indian. ( For more see table below, with state wide averages ) Despite the size of the school many students feel at home because "there is a room for everyone to fit in" as opposed to smaller schools where there may be many small clicques.

Ethnicity This School State Average

White, non-Hispanic   31%        72% 
Black, non-Hispanic   89 %       20% 
Hispanic               3%         4% 
Asian                  1%         2% 
American Indian        1%        <1% 
Unspecified            1%         n/a 
  Source: MI Dept. of Education, 2004-2005

The Building Originally built in 1927 for $1,660,000, the building is one of the most prominent high school buildings in the state of Michigan. It is faced in brown brick and trimmed in limestone. The architecture of the building is an excellent example of the collegiate gothic style, with its two long wings flanking a prominent, spired tower. The building is three stories tall with a basement for additional class space and cafeteria. It stands 33 meters, or 109 feet tall. Recently Jackson High School received a $30,000,000 dollar renovation, that restored the building to its original grandeur, after many years of neglect due to budget constrants. The original building, along with existing additions, were gutted and restored with many modern amenties added. In addition, a brand new state-of-the art science wing was built with teaching space and lab stations complete with computers.